Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 17:31:09 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: SIXTH ANNUAL DAY OF COMPASSION RAISES HIV/AIDS AWARENESS - MEDIA EDUCATES MILLIONS ON JUNE 19, 1998 MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SIXTH ANNUAL DAY OF COMPASSION RAISES HIV/AIDS AWARENESS MEDIA EDUCATES MILLIONS ON JUNE 19, 1998 Media Contact: Bill Horn Assistant Media Entertainment Director phone: (213) 658-6775 pager: (800) 946-4646, pin#1423528 e-mail: horn@glaad.org LOS ANGELES, CA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1998-Media outlets across the country will call attention to the continuing crisis of HIV/AIDS on Friday, June 19th. On this sixth annual Day of Compassion, network and cable television, print media, Internet providers and radio stations will air special programming specifically geared toward educating and raising awareness about those living with the disease, those working on research and advocacy fronts, and friends and families who have-on a multitude of levels-been touched by HIV/AIDS. Among those scheduled to appear on morning news programs are Jeanne White (mother of the late Ryan White) on Good Morning America and reigning Miss America Kate Schindle on CNN. Talk shows scheduled to participate on June 19 include: Leeza, Sally Jesse Raphael, Jenny Jones, Cristina and Maury Povich. Daytime dramas include Days of Our Lives, All My Children, General Hospital and The Young and the Restless. Over 300 cable networks and systems will be telecasting AIDS-related PSAs and programming, including E! Entertainment Television and MTV. "Over the past five years, Day of Compassion has demonstrated the unparalleled ability of the media to call attention to compelling social issues such as HIV/AIDS," said Joan M. Garry, GLAAD Executive Director. "While it is important to highlight the remarkable progress being made in the medical arena, it is critical to remind the public that this is not a time to be complacent. Now-more than ever before-education and accessible information are essential elements in the prevention of this disease." Day of Compassion is an annual project of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and is co-sponsored by Until There's a Cure Foundation, the Names Project Foundation and Cable Positive, the cable industry's AIDS action organization. Day of Compassion began in 1993, when Los Angeles-based actor Neil Tadken viewed an AIDS-themed episode of One Life to Live. Inspired by that candid portrayal of the AIDS crisis, he contacted other daytime drama producers, many of whom agreed to air episodes devoted to people affected by HIV/AIDS. The Day of Compassion Web site can be accessed via GLAAD Online, located at http://www.glaad.org. Those who wish to participate in "Show Compassion On Your Site" by displaying a button linking to the Day of Compassion site may download their button from that same site. GLAAD is the nation's lesbian and gay media advocacy organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. TO JOIN GLAAD AND RECEIVE GLAAD's DISPATCH AND QUARTERLY IMAGES MAGAZINE, call 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or join on the Web today at www.glaad.org/glaad/join/join-about.html TO SUBSCRIBE TO GLAAD-Net, GLAAD's electronic mailing list, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Subscribe GLAAD-Net" TO UNSUBSCRIBE, send e-mail to majordomo@vector.casti.com with the message "Unsubscribe GLAAD-Net" GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representation as a means of challenging discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "GLAAD" and "Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation" are registered trademarks of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Inc.